‘Homicidal’ and uncooperative — NJ cop shoots man on video

MILLVILLE — A self-described "homicidal" man refused police commands and gave the appearance of aiming a gun at officers, one of whom shot and killed the man, according to a police video obtained by New Jersey 101.5.

Thursday will mark one month since Edward Gandy Jr., 47, was shot on a city street after he called police to report that he was feeling homicidal and that he was standing at the intersection of High and McNeal streets with a loaded gun.

After the shooting, however, police found no gun.

An initial statement by prosecutors did not describe the moments leading up to the shooting. But the video sheds new light into what officers saw when they got on scene about 11 a.m. Jan. 22.

The video was obtained Tuesday by New Jersey 101.5 from the Cumberland County Prosecutor's Office under the Open Public Records Act.

The dashcam video of Patrolman Colt Gibson shows the officer arriving at the intersection where Gandy said he would be.

In the video, Gandy can be seen walking across the street toward the officers. Officers who are not seen in the video can be heard loudly giving Gandy directions including, "let me see your hands" twice, and "stop moving."

Despite these commands, Gandy continues walking toward the officers.

At one point, Gandy motions his hand as if he is unholstering a gun and uses both aims to aim it. But there does not appear to be a weapon — or any object — actually in his hands. After the shooting, police did not find any weapon on Gandy.

Several gunshots can then be heard as Gandy falls to the ground. He later died at the hospital.

The Daily Journal identified Gibson as the officer who shot Gandy, citing a use-of-force report provided by the city of Millville. According to the Journal, the report says Gibson fired two shots, but does not say how many times Gandy was hit. The report, according to the Journal, says Gibson fired because Gandy was threatening officers with a firearm.

Gandy's mother told the Daily Journal that her son had recently been released from a mental health crisis center and had been "suicidal" after doctors changed his medications.

After the shooting, Prosecutor Jennifer Webb-McRae said the officer had been placed on administrative leave, which is not unusual for an officer involved in a shooting.

Earlier this month, Webb-McRae's office declined to released the video citing the fact that "all of the principal witnesses have not been interviewed and release of the video at this time would jeopardize the ongoing investigation."